


First Year

by loxleylove



Series: Begin Again [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Harry goes back and suffers again, Harry is kinda a jerk, M/M, Time Travel, first year, i think he has the right to be, let me say it again, very very slow build up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-14
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-02-13 02:48:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2134269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loxleylove/pseuds/loxleylove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last thing Harry remembered was the smiling at Ron and Hermione, the dull ache of the battle against Voldemort resonating through his body. He thought it was over, that he was finally free to have a relatively normal but peaceful life.<br/>It dawned on him, after blinking a few times to make sure this wasn’t a sick dream, that words like ‘normal’ and ‘peaceful’ weren’t made to describe his life. </p><p>Harry goes back in time after the final battle. He doesn't know how to feel about this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Trip Back in Time and a Trip to the Zoo

 

The last thing Harry remembered was the smiling at Ron and Hermione, the dull ache of the battle against Voldemort resonating through his body. He thought it was over, that he was finally free to have a relatively normal but peaceful life. 

It dawned on him, after blinking a few times to make sure this wasn’t a sick dream, that words like ‘normal’ and ‘peaceful’ weren’t made to describe his life. 

Here he was, back in that damned cupboard under the stairs at number 4 Privet Drive. He pulled the string above his head to turn on the light. Same damp smell, same cobwebs, same toy soldiers. His glasses were broken and his hands were tiny, he was tiny. 

“Bloody magic,” he mumbled in a higher pitch he hadn’t heard in years. “Bloody, bloody magic.”

He slapped himself lightly. A brief but frightening thought crossed his mind, what if it was all just a dream and there was no magic at all? What if he was going to spend the rest of his childhood under these stairs? Was there no Ron or Hermione? No Dumbledore. 

He began to panic at the thought, he absolutely needed to know. The cupboard was locked, he could see that there was a bit of light coming in from outside. He sifted around behind his pillow, he had a clock and a mirror somewhere. 

His scar, he could feel it but he had to see it.

And there it was, just as it always had been. That lightning scar he received on that dark night years ago. 

“It just can’t be a coincidence,” he said quietly as his finger grazed the raised flesh. 

But what day was it, what year? The clock said it was almost seven in the morning. His aunt or uncle would be coming down to wake him and have him cook breakfast in the next ten or so minutes. 

A banging from upstairs alerted him. They were awake. He hid the clock and the mirror, turned off the light and pretended to sleep. He waited about five minutes before he heard the telltale sound of his uncle descending the stairs. He also felt the staircase shake and the dust fall. 

His uncle unlocked the cupboard ungracefully. 

“Wake up boy.”

What day was it? What day was it? Harry was almost mechanical with the way he sat up after his uncle left. He walked into the kitchen with the goal of finding a calendar in mind. It turned out he needn’t had to. In the kitchen there were presents stacked on top of each other. It was Dudley’s birthday. 

His uncle Vernon sat at the kitchen table, his aunt stood by the sink. Both barked out commands as soon as they saw him.

“How many presents for Dudley are there?” 

His uncle shot him a look to as if to ask why it matters to his nephew. 

“Thirty-seven,” he grumbled.

Before Harry could stop himself he said, “He won’t like that, thats one less than last year.” 

Both adults looked at him oddly this time. They must’ve chalked it up to him being a freak though because they didn’t say anything. 

This was the summer he was supposed to get his Hogwarts letter. He was going to get dragged off to the zoo later this day, if by chance that was all in fact an elaborate dream he could test it out on the boa at the zoo. 

He had to see if he could talk to that snake. 

But something was odd, in his ‘dream’ it was Dudley who woke him but jumping down the stairs, not Vernon. He pondered on the thought before he heard Dudley bounding down the stairs. 

“Here’s the birthday boy!” Aunt Petunia immediately hugged her son, he briefly acknowledged her but all his attention was on colorfully wrapped boxes. 

“How many are there?” 

Harry smiled, he was glad that he was facing the stove and watching the eggs.

“Thirty-seven,” his uncle said. “Counted them myself I did.”

He imagined the look on Dudley’s probably bright red face. “Thirty-seven! But last year! Last year there were thirty-eight!”

“But Duddy, we’re taking you and Piers to the zoo– Alright how about we go out and buy you two new gifts after?”

Much like what happened in the ‘dream’, Dudley seemed to accept this. Also much like what happened in the ‘dream’, his cousin threw a right fit when his parents told him that they would have to have Harry tag along to the zoo. Harry remembered feeling happy about this in the ‘dream’, that he actually got to go visit the zoo. He was feeling happy this time too, but it was Dudley’s piggish red face and tears bringing out this emotion. 

He felt almost sadistic, his cousin was actually almost alright the last few years of the ‘dream’ after all.

Before they got in the car, his uncle stopped him.

“No funny business boy–”

“There’s nothing funny about me.” Maybe Harry was being a bit too brave, after all he didn’t know if the ‘dream’ was real or not. If it were indeed just a dream, he couldn’t afford to snark at his uncle lest he be shoved in that cupboard forever. 

“That stunt you pulled with the presents this morning–”

Harry cut off his uncle once again. “That wasn’t a stunt, I was just pointing out the obvious. It isn’t my fault that you bought him one less present this year.”

His uncle was turning a telling shade of purple, he huffed and opened the drivers seat door. 

Piers’ reaction was less embarrassing than Dudley’s, but Harry saw the glee in the other boy’s eyes. Harry knew he was thinking of fun new ways to bully him at the zoo, Dudley caught on to this in the car and Harry heard them whispering about stealing his glasses and throwing them in the Monkey exhibit when they got there. 

Thankfully his aunt and uncle still didn’t care about him, he followed them through the zoo at a safe distance for every one and anxiously thought about the boa. 

They reached the reptiles and Harry was flooded with nostalgia as Dudley pounded on the glass and demanded that the snake move. 

This would be the moment of truth, the moment that would dictate if his life was going to change this summer. He waited until his cousin was far out of sight, he didn’t want to be locked in the cupboard during the day again. He walked up to the glass and lightly tapped it. 

“Hey,” he could never tell when he was talking parseltongue, to him it was a natural change in language. 

The snake did nothing.

Harry tapped a bit more urgently. “Hey, can you hear me?”

His hope was faltering but the snake eventually turned to him. And there it was, it nodded. It actually nodded. It slithered up to the glass and looked at him with what Harry guessed was confusion.

“You... You honestly understand what I’m saying?”

The snake nodded again.

It is real, magic is real.

“Harry!” His aunt screeched from down the hall. “Don’t fall behind.” 

He spared one last glance at the snake and felt a bit bad that he didn’t free the boa this time. 

He whispered a goodbye and ran back to his aunt. 

The ride back was full of Piers and Dudley talking loudly about what they’re favorite animals at the zoo were. The trunk of the car was full of presents from the zoo, mostly souvenirs toys that Dudley would never look at again. 

Nobody paid any mind to Harry.

When they got home it was time to cut Dudley’s birthday cake, it was the second one that day and the third of the week. Much like every time it was time to cut the cake, Vernon sent Harry a look and the boy went back to his ‘room’. 

He didn’t bother turning on the light, he laid down in his cupboard in darkness. 

It hit him in one wave. A sudden sadness and happiness all at once, a feeling he couldn’t put in words. The tears couldn’t stop falling but he felt like laughing. He thought of Sirius, of Dumbledore, of Tonks, Lupin, Moody, Fred, Cedric... Snape. He could save them. He could stop Voldemort without having so much death and misery. 

His heart beat faster when he thought of Ron and Hermione. 

All his other friends came to mind. Luna, Neville, Ginny.

He suddenly felt guilty, he hadn’t thought of Ginny... Well he hadn’t thought of her since he last saw her. But those final moments when he thought he was dead...

He rubbed at his eyes, he couldn’t think of that right now. 

He had to make a plan. 

Tomorrow his letter would be arriving, this time he wouldn’t let his uncle get his stupid hands on it. He’d get the post like usual and hide the letter before he made it to the kitchen. 

He was so far from his ‘dream’ but at the same time he was getting closer.

He pictured the great hall and smiled as sleep took over his senses. 

 


	2. An Unexpected Person

Harry was giddy all night, he slept very little, he’d wake up almost every hour and hope it was early morning so he could be let out of the cupboard. He wanted to get that much closer to having his Hogwarts letter safely in his hands. 

He eventually woke up at five in the morning, an hour earlier than his aunt and uncle. Instead of aimlessly sitting and waiting, he decided to plan out the next few years of his life. He took out a notebook and a pen, items that he was extremely sure that Dudley would not miss and began to write down notes. 

He started with first year, he remembered the philosopher’s stone and Quirrell, Voldemort’s unfortunate vessel. He remembered making friends with Ron and eventually with Hermione after the incident with the troll. 

From the beginning, Voldemort was trying to ruin his life at school. 

Scabbers, what would he do about Pettigrew? 

It was a lot to think about, he had to be careful of what he could and could not tell his future friends. 

Snape would never truly like him, but if he could show the man that he was more like his mother than his father, perhaps he could garner some sympathy. 

Harry wasn’t worried about how he’d get to Diagon alley, even though his uncle wouldn’t take them to that rock in the middle of the sea, Hagrid would probably still be sent on Harry’s birthday. 

He decided then, sitting in that cupboard that he would begin studying as soon as he got his books this time around. Granted, first year should be a walk in the park, but if he wanted to save everyone this time he needed to know as much as he could, he needed to know things that he didn’t know last time. 

He would have to give up Quidditch. It would hurt, but it had to be done. 

There was simply no time for everything he wanted to do. 

Harry heard shifting from upstairs and quickly put away his writing materials. He only managed to write about his first year, he’d have to sneak in writing sessions late at night or early in the morning, he was determined to write as much as he could before the summer was over. 

He also had decided to write in code. If the journal fell in to the wrong hands it could prove disastrous.

He shut the lights and pretended to sleep as he heard his aunt come down the stairs. 

“Get up and start breakfast.”

Ten minutes later saw the Dursley family seated around the breakfast table, the only reason Dudley was awake this early was because he was going to go to Piers’ house for the day and they wanted an early start at whatever idiotic things they thought were fun. 

“Get the post boy.” Vernon demanded with a mouth full of toast. 

He abstained from sprinting to the door. 

It was there, that tea-stained colored envelope addressed to the boy under the cupboard. He quickly shoved it down his pants and went back to the kitchen handing his uncle bills, junk mail and a letter from Vernon’s ghastly sister. 

Harry was impatient, he wanted to go back to the cupboard and read the latter but he knew that it would be odd for him to do so, the Dursley family saw the cupboard as a punishment that should not be enjoyed, a punishment for existing. 

Vernon eventually announced that he was heading to work, he was also driving Dudley to Piers’ house so that was two people out of the way. After they left Petunia told Harry that she was meeting some ladies for brunch. 

While Petunia never liked him, she wasn’t as strict as his uncle was, she let him roam the house alone. Of course she locked the doors of the rooms he wasn’t allowed in. Which were most of them. He had access to the downstairs washroom, the kitchen, and his own cupboard. 

But he wasn’t stupid, he knew where the extra keys were hidden. That was how he got the notebook and the pens after all. 

He hid all the things he didn’t want his aunt and uncle seeing under some floor boards in the cupboard. 

When she was gone he went back to his cupboard and took the letter out of his pants. It was just as he remembered the letter and list, he smiled happily. 

He was glad about being left alone, he could write in peace without having to do so at an ungodly hour.   
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The wait for Hagrid and his birthday would have been torturous if he didn’t have notes to compile. Notes and ideas. He would take out Quirrell much like he did the time before, he played around with the idea of going after the stone months in advance but it would seem suspect to Dumbledore and the rest of the teachers. 

A very pressing matter was second year and Tom Riddle’s diary. 

He was there when Lucius Malfoy dropped the diary in Ginny’s cauldron. He could prevent it from happening. But at the same time, he needed those basilisk fangs. Hopefully, much like the first time, nobody would die. He could destroy the diary and with the basilisk dead at the bottom of the chamber he could destroy Ravenclaw’s diadem. 

He’d do that third year, after all, he knew where the diadem was this time around. 

Third year... Sirius... and Pettigrew. 

He had to keep the rat around, Sirius only broke out of Azkaban when he saw Scabbers in the Weasley’s photo from the trip to Egypt. 

Peter Pettigrew was a pressing matter. 

So was Draco Malfoy, the blonde was pretty harmless until sixth year... 

One thing Harry was certain of was though was that he’d go be friends with Luna earlier this time around. 

Hagrid should be coming any time now. 

It was nearing his birthday, it was almost midnight. But when the hour came there was nothing. Harry was incredibly disappointed by that, perhaps it was different this time around much like earlier when Vernon woke him on Dudley’s birthday instead of his cousin. He fell asleep wishing himself a happy birthday. 

The next morning he woke to the sound of a few sharp, hard, and loud knocks to the front door. It was early, it was before six in the morning and Harry heard his aunt and uncle wake. From the sound of Vernon’s footsteps down the stairs, he was angry. 

“Who? Who would– this bloody early in the morning?”

“Vernon please, calm down–”

Harry heard the front door open but after that there was a tense quiet. He urgently wished that he could see what was happening. 

It became evident as soon as Petunia started speaking. 

“You! You vile freak, he’s not one of them. Leave.”

It was Snape.

Instead of the jovial Hagrid, it was Snape that was going to take him school shopping. 

Maybe this was his own fault Harry thought. Because he didn’t send the boa out, or maybe because he actually received the letter. Perhaps Dumbledore saw it fit to not send Hagrid.

There seemed to be an argument outside, Harry listened closely in.

“Maybe if you asked the boy if he received the letter,” Snape wasn’t suggesting it as much as he was demanding it, he seemed to not want to spend any more time than required doing a task he probably hated. 

Vernon’s loud footsteps came closer to the cupboard, at least this time Snape wouldn’t be under the impression that Harry lived in the lap of luxury. 

“Wake up boy and tell this freak you know nothing about any letter.”

Harry was a few steps ahead of his uncle, having pulled the letter out as soon as he heard the word ‘freak’ out of his aunt’s mouth.

“You mean this letter?” 

His uncle turned a dark shade of red, his neck was turning purple as his anger was rising.

“I thought it was a joke, whoever wrote it even knew I lived in the cupboard.”

His uncle began to splutter.

“Potter,” Snape’s voice was as cold as ever. It was surreal to see him younger and alive. “Get ready, we’re leaving to shop for your school supplies.”

Harry could only nod, hearing Snape was one thing, but seeing his was a whole other. He quickly got ready. If Snape had felt anything from initially seeing Harry live in a cupboard, he didn’t say anything nor did his face show any emotion other than the usual contempt. His aunt and uncle stood off to the side, neither stopped him, they seemed to have enough sense to not try to anger the potions teacher. His aunt looked particularly disturbed at the sight. 

He understood why too, despite the way she treated him, she never got over the death of her sister. Snape was the second magical child she had met, to her it must almost feel as though Harry was being carted off into the same dangerous world Lily had been. Not that he thought Petunia cared much about him in the first place. 

Thankfully it didn’t take long for him to get ready, he made sure to hide his journal with great care, along with other things he didn’t want his uncle finding if he snooped around while Harry was gone. 

This time he didn’t arrive to the Leakey Cauldron the way he had with Hagrid, he was apparated there by Snape. They were at Diagon Alley hours early. He tried to think of important things that happened the last time he was there. Well there was the wand, meeting Quirrell, Malfoy when he was fitted for his robes... And the philosophers stone. 

It was no great loss that the last three events didn’t happen.

They walked down the Alley in silence, it was near the center he saw Eeylops Owl Emporium. Hedwig! He had to get Hedwig, this time Hagrid wasn’t around, he’d have to get her himself. Hopefully Snape wouldn’t make too much of a fuss about it. 

They walked to the North side of Diagon alley, to Gringotts Wizarding Bank. The white steps to the bronze building were immaculate, unlike what they looked like when he, Ron, and Hermione had snuck in during the Death Eater’s reign of the neighborhood. Hagrid wasn’t here to tell him that only mad men would rob the bank... 

He, Ron and Hermione were all pretty mad. 

They walked down the marble hall, no wizard or goblin made any indication that they knew who the boy beside Snape was. There were no murmurs that they heard Harry Potter was at the Leaky Cauldron. Anonymity was something he learned to cherish after the years in the spotlight. 

They made it to the desk at the end of the hall.

“Potter is here for school shopping,” Snape indicated to the goblin at the high desk. 

“Ah, and does Mr. Potter have his vault key?”

Snape was quick to pull the key out. 

“Very well,” He motioned to a goblin off to the side. “Griphook, help our client.”

It looked as though the task of the stone still fell to Hagrid, possibly later today. 

The trip to his vault was spent in silence, no awe like the first time. He wasn’t shocked when the vault door opened to reveal the Potter fortune. He realized Snape must’ve found him odd. Harry himself admitted that no child in his position would be so stoic as he was being now. But he simply could not find it in him to be excited, every time he felt a bit of happiness, all his memories and emotions from the last seven ‘dream’ years flooded him. 

From the corner of his eye he saw Snape watch him with an unreadable expression. 

He gathered the Wizarding money, for his school supplies, his wand, Hedwig and a little extra just in case. 

The first stop after this was directly to Ollivander’s wand shop. 

He knew which wand was going to be his, but he still went along with the dozens the old man tried to give him. 

When he came from the back of his store, Harry knew that in his hand he held his wand. Snape looked on impatiently as Ollivander placed the wand box on the counter with care. 

“I wonder...” The wandmaker pondered quietly. “Give this one a try Mr. Potter.”

It was exactly like he remembered, 11 inches, made of holly, and with a phoenix feather core. Donated by Fawkes.

The wand reacted just as it had before, it accepted him and Harry smiled. 

“Curious... very curious...” Ollivander began to pack the wand away. 

Harry tried to look confused and he seemingly succeeded. 

“I remember ever wand I’ve ever sold, Mr. Potter. And it happens that the phoenix who gave the feather for that wand gave one other–”

Ollivander was cut off by a sharp cough. Harry had forgotten about Snape. 

Supposedly he understood that Snape didn’t want to hear about his scar, his wand, or his what happened the night he got his scar. He was there after all. 

They left Ollivanders and the rest of the shopping trip was more or less spent awkwardly silent. That is until they reached Eeylops, he looked in the window and saw multiple owls. He looked carefully until his spotter the snowy owl. The same pattern and all, it was Hedwig and he would buy her.

“Professor, may I buy an owl?”

Even if Snape said ‘no’, he’s still buy Hedwig. 

Snape glowered at him, he probably wanted to go home after spending the day with the son of the man who stole the woman he loved. He gave no indication that he was saying no though so Harry took it as an open invitation to run into the store. He didn’t even have to browse around, he immediately chose Hedwig. 

She hooted at him softly as he stroked the side of her head through the bars of her cage. 

They had bought everything on the list and it was time to leave, in one month time he’d be getting on the Hogwarts express. He at least knew how to get on the bloody platform this time but he was surprised when Snape took him there after shopping and told him about the wall and how to walk through it.

Snape apparated him back to his uncle and aunt’s house. He made sure to tell them that Harry had better be at the platform on the first of September or he would come back. It was a promise of an unpleasant altercation waiting to happen.

The last month at the Dursley’s saw him faced with two scared yet furious adults and one incredibly confused Dudley. It seemed as though of his aunt and uncle were ignoring his existence, not demanding anything of him, Dudley seemed to lose interest in bullying Harry quite fast. Another oddity was that Harry was given the spare bedroom upstairs, it was Dudley’s old toy room, so he definitely put up a fight when he was losing it. 

The first of September couldn’t come fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so... Of course the first few years of Harry's life at Hogwarts won't have any real romance. They're just kids after all.


	3. The Lonely Train Ride and the Sorting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is boring, but it had to be done.

August was tense in the Dursley house, Petunia and Vernon looked at Harry like he’d grown an extra head. Harry ignored them to the best of his abilities, after all, he was concerned with other going-ons in his life. Beside reviewing his school materials over and over (it was just as boring as the first time he did it), a problem arose in regards to his memories. 

No matter how much he thought about the ‘dream’, some events and people escaped him. 

Just before second year there was visitor at the Dursley’s house. It was for him, it was a warning, but he couldn’t put a face and name to the individual. He couldn’t remember other things, like the other two competitors in the tri-wizard tournament, the name of Malfoy’s mother. The eldest Weasley sons. 

It concerned him, but he didn’t seem to be forgetting what he did remember. It was odd.

Another matter was Dumbledore and Snape. He was sure that neither the headmaster or professor had used occlumency on him, without his consent that is. But that was because he gave them no reason to. He had to be careful.

He thought about telling the older wizard about his ‘dream’, but he couldn’t help thinking of the plan he saw in the pensive when he used Snape’s memories. It would become complicated, besides, how would anyone act around him if they knew he was from the ‘future’.

They’d think him daft. 

In August he completed his notebook. He wrote everything he knew and left spots open for the things he had forgotten.   
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vernon Dursley muttered to himself all the way to King Cross Station. He constantly ducked so other people didn’t see him driving his ‘freak of a nephew”. He didn’t even bother escorting Harry all the way to the platform, Harry didn’t mind though, no matter how much he wanted to see his uncle turn that dark purple when he explained about walking through a wall. 

Harry knew how to get to platform 9 and 3/4. But he waited a few minutes before he heard the words “Packed with muggles”. 

Mrs. Weasley was younger, her face not marred by the war and by losing her son. She was jovial and steering her children to the wall. Harry hoped that she’d grow to see him as part of the family much in the same way she did in the ‘dream’.

The Weasley children before the war. His heart sunk. How could he face them after Fred’s death. Though Fred wasn’t dead, he was laughing along with his twin. 

Harry took a deep breath and pushed his trolley towards them. 

“Um, excuse me, not to be a bother but can you...”

Mrs. Weasley turned to him, her face broke into a friendly smile when she saw his suitcase and Hedwig perched on the trolley. 

“Show you how to get to the platform, of course dear. It’s Ron’s first time too.” She indicated to her son who offered a smile and a shrug. 

Harry took this moment to really look at the family. Percy was standing straight up, Fred and George were laughing at each other's jokes, Ron looked a bit nervous, and Ginny...

Well Ginny looked like she could’ve leapt through the wall in an instant. 

“Well Percy, you first. Show them how it’s done.” The oldest of the group nodded, he confidently walked through the wall between platform 9 and 8. 

“It’s very easy, would you like to try?” 

Harry nodded, he turned his trolley towards the wall and half ran towards it for the sake of nostalgia. 

On the other side he was greeted with students and guardians hugging and saying goodbye. He noticed a few from his year. Parvati and Padma, Blaise Zabini, and in the distance he saw bushy brown hair. He accepted one of the seventh year’s help in loading his luggage and boarded the train. Oddly, the rest of the Weasleys didn’t come through the wall immediately after him like they did before. They still had time though so he wasn’t too worried. 

He found an empty compartment. 

Ron might not sit with him this time around.

He was right, no one sat with him. Hermione hadn’t even come around to ask if he’d seen Neville’s toad. he supposed it was a good time to recount the sorting, but he was distracted by the loneliness of the situation. 

Ron was his first friend. 

The trip was spent in quiet. He would enter Hogwarts without anyone knowing who he was. Malfoy wouldn’t bait him or Ron in the entrance hall. 

When the Hogwarts express reached the station, the first years were directed to the boats to sail across the lake. He saw Hagrid helping steer the first years, Harry wanted to say hello but he quickly remembered that he hadn’t even met Hagrid this time around. 

He sat in a boat with Neville, a boy he couldn’t recall, and thankfully Hermione. He had a chance to befriend her now and he wasn’t going to make a blunder. 

She confidently sat beside him, “Hello, I’m Hermione Granger.”

He smiled at her and made sure that Neville and the other boy were not listening in.

“I’m Harry,” he whispered. He couldn’t help but smile at her reaction. Before she could say anything, he put up his hand to his mouth in a shushing motion. 

She might’ve understood why he’d done it because she nodded and changed the subject. 

“I wonder how they sort us, I mean I read that we get sorted but it never specified how. And you see, I’m muggle born so I don’t know anyone who I can ask. Do you think it’s a test? I’ve only memorized a few spells myself...” She nervously chewed at he lower lip. 

“Do you really want to know, I don’t really want to spoil it for you,” it was a chance to impress her. If Hermione was impressed by anything, it was extra studying.

“I...” she spent a few seconds deciding, “No, if you know and aren’t afraid I won’t be either.”

They spent the rest of the boat ride in a comfortable silence. Eventually reaching the shore, Hagrid was there indicating on where to go and that Professor McGonagall would meet them before the sorting. Harry was quite happy that Hermione seemed to have taken to him and talked to him for the rest of the short trip to the castle and up the   
grand staircase.

McGonagall’s speech was unnerving some of the student he noticed, no wonder they were worried. He himself remembered thinking about a public test. He was much calmer this time around. 

The doors to the great hall opened and the first years shuffled in, one looking more scared than the other. 

He confidently walked beside Hermione.

“You know, the ceiling is bewitched to look like the night sky, I read about it in–”

“Hogwarts, A History.” Harry finished for her. 

She grinned at him, “You actually read ahead, some redheaded boy made fun of me on the train for doing so.”

Classic Ron. 

He looked around, Malfoy was shifting around, he must know that Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy probably made sure he knew what Voldemort’s enemy was up to. 

Ron seemed to have made friends with Seamus and Dean. It was odd not standing next to him. He was sure that they would be friends, but he never imagined working towards a friendship that started so naturally the first time around. 

He realized he had spaced out when he heard the first name being called out. 

From what he remembered, the sorting was exactly as it had been in the ‘dream’. Hermione was a Gryffindor, Malfoy a Slytherin...

After the next person it was his turn. 

“Harry Potter.” 

The great hall went silent and all eyes landed on him. It didn’t make him as unsettled as it once did. This was his life and by the time he defeated Voldemort he had learned to accept it, all the bad and all the good. 

He sat down and the sorting hat was placed atop his head.

“Oh, what an interesting mind Mr. Potter.”

“You know, you wont tell will you?” Harry pleaded silently.

“It is not my place to do so, but this is quite unheard of. Now, I see I placed you in Gryffindor. But you have new opportunities, how about Slytherin...”

Harry silently insisted on Gryffindor. 

“Very well then Mr. Potter.”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

A huge applause broke out from the Gryffindor table. The Weasley twins whooped loudly and even Percy looked pleased. The happiest looking person at the table was Hermione though, she moved to make room for him. 

“I’m glad,” she told him before the great hall calmed dow. The rest of the sorting   
commenced. 

Harry glanced around the hall, he looked at the Hufflepuff table and spotted Cedric, then at the Ravenclaw table and saw Cho. He finally looked towards the Slytherin table, they all watched the remainder of the sorting, all but one student. His green eyes met grey. Malfoy stared directly at him for a brief moment before pointedly looking away. 

‘Must feel pretty bad for letting the great Harry Potter slip through his fingers,’ Harry thought with mirth.

Eventually they reached Ron’s name on the list, he was of course sorted in Gryffindor. His brothers cheered and Ron looked relieved. Sadly, he sat beside Dean and Seamus. Once the final first year was sorted, Dumbledore recited his announcements, Harry took note of the one that mentioned the third floor corridor. 

“So, what classes are you looking forward to Harry?” Hermione prodded at a quail leg. 

“I suppose Defence against the Dark Arts. I also think that Transfiguration and Charms will be interesting.” 

Hermione seemed to glow at this, she was probably happy she met someone she could bond over school with. It was a bit unfair though, he had an advantage over her of about six years. Granted he wasn’t the best student around but he liked to think he learned enough. 

“I’m worried about flying,” she said.

“I am too,” Neville Longbottom entered the conversation, he was seated between Harry and a third year girl. He looked down when he realized that he said his thought out loud.

“You don’t have to be, I read that it becomes easy with practice. If I’m any good at it, I’ll help both of you.” 

“And if you’re terrible?” Hermione asked.

“Well then, non of us will make it on the Quidditch team. They can use us as bludger practice.”

She laughed, “I suppose you’re right.”

He suddenly felt a stinging pain, his scar was acting up. It was because of Voldemort’s presence. He ignored it though, he didn’t want to attract attention. 

Before the feast ended, Harry looked once more around the great hall. His eyes strayed to the Slytherin table, Malfoy was flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy Parkinson was batting her eyelashes at him. But those grey eyes were still focused on him. Harry noticed, but his eyes naturally passed the blonde.

He remembered the disdain he felt for Malfoy in the ‘dream’, but in the end he was just a pathetic boy that fought for something he didn’t understand.


	4. Potions... Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so apprehensive about this chapter, in general I don't like writing about the first book much because it's a bit slow.

Unfortunately Ron hadn’t spoken a word to Harry that night, no matter how much Harry had tried to speak to the redhead. Fred and George were open enough with him, remarking on how they had no idea who he was when they saw him back on the platform. Percy was friendly because he had to be, especially if he wanted to be head boy. It was odd not speaking to Ron, and it worried Harry as he originally thought that even if they had not met on the train they would still get on well. 

 

Harry couldn’t sleep that night, had he ruined his chances to befriend Ron? 

 

After the short hours he did manage to sleep during quickly passed, Harry woke first thing in the morning, most of his house was still asleep because classes weren’t for another two hours. He dressed and washed up quietly and went downstairs to the common room to see if the schedules were posted. The same wave of nostalgia hit him that he felt the night before, the Gryffindor common room was warm and inviting, golden and red, just beginning to bathe in the early morning sunshine. The portraits on the walls dozed on as there was minimal moment this early. He heard the telltale croaking of Neville’s toad. 

 

Only a few students were awake. Oliver Wood paced in front of the fire place, he looked restless and mumbled about quidditch. Harry didn’t doubt that Wood was thinking about going off to the quidditch pitch, but seeing as it was only the first day it was most likely closed to students. 

 

Percy Weasley was standing near the board with the schedule listings, he was quietly talking to Hermione who seemed to have also risen early. Harry walked over to them making sure to avoid stepping on Trevor who leaped in front of him.

 

“Good morning,” he sleepily smiled at Hermione and Percy. They both returned his greeting. 

 

“I was just asking Percy about our professors and classroom locations Harry, I don’t want to be late, especially on the first day.” Hermione was intently looking at the map provided up on the board next to the schedules. 

 

Harry remembered his first time around at Hogwarts, he and Ron managed to get lost almost every morning in the first week, arriving late to most of their first classes of the day. Thankfully the professors were more or less forgiving to the first year. After all, even some of second years sometimes managed to lose themselves because of the staircases. 

 

He took note of double potions on friday, and all of the defense classes. Those would be the important ones. Because Voldemort was attached to Quirrell’s head and because he just knew Snape still had it in for him. 

 

He spent the week with Hermione and Neville, at least when Neville wasn’t getting lost in the castle. Ron still late to most of the morning classes, the red head always sat with Seamus and Dean. When they had to partner up, Harry partnered with Hermione on her insistence and Neville had gone with Ron who looked like he dreaded every moment but was kind enough to not say anything. 

 

Ron was getting better throughout the week too, he stopped looking nervous when Harry spoke to him and by Thursday night they could hold a conversation. 

 

“You’re quite good,” Ron quickly shoved a chocolate frog in his mouth. “I mean at school, and you lived with muggles too.”

 

“Hermione, the girl with the bushy brown hair I sit beside in classes is even better than I am,” Harry played with the card of Albus Dumbledore he got from his own frog. Seamus’ mother had sent candy to him and the boy decided to share with the boys in his dormitory. 

 

“I guess, she’s bossy though.”

 

Harry laughed, “Well she is, I won’t lie and say she isn’t. But you know, she’s only trying to prove thats she’s just as good as someone who grew up with magic. After all, some people don’t like muggle born...” He quickly added that he learned that in a book he read for history of magic. 

 

“I know,” Ron looked apprehensive. “Some families like that Malfoy prat’s... That blonde boy in Slytherin, I don’t think you’ve spoken to him. Consider yourself lucky too, he came up to me on tuesday and called my family poor in front of everyone.”

 

So even if Harry wasn’t friends with Ron the animosity between him and Draco was still there. Harry wasn’t really surprised, after all the issue went beyond the children and in reality beyond Lucius and Arthur too. 

 

Ron groaned, “Bloody hell, and tomorrow we have double potions with the git and Snape.” Harry almost felt like groaning too at the thought, he could avoid Malfoy like he had been all week but Snape would surely still want to prove a point against him. No matter that the greasy professor loved his mother Lily, he never had any for Harry himself. He saw James Potter because he wanted to see James Potter. Maybe it would be different because of the trip to Diagon Alley but Harry doubted it. 

 

At least this time around he made sure to read the potion book cover to cover twice, added to the fact that he had taken potions in the ‘dream’ and wasn’t completely miserable at it, he was ready for what Snape would unleash on him the next day. 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

He woke early again that day and went to the Great Hall with Hermione.

 

“Snape was the proffesor who took me Diagon Alley,” Hermione listened to him intently. “He seemed mean actually, really cold. He’s probably a good professor at potions, but I heard from one of the older students that what he really wants to teach is Defense.” 

 

“Maybe you’re just jumping to conclusions,” Hermione lightly buttered some toast. “Maybe he’s alright.”

 

“Who?” Harry hadn’t noticed that Ron had arrived in the hall, the red headed boy plopped down beside him and grabbed a roll from the center of the table. 

 

Harry couldn’t help it, his heart swelled, he was finally sitting beside his two best friends. 

 

Hermione shot a look at the other boy, “We were talking about Professor Snape, you haven't forgotten that we have double potions with the Slytherins this morning have you.”

 

“Course not, I practically had a nightmare about it last night.” He shoved the roll full in his mouth and chewed loudly, possibly to just further annoy Hermione who cringed as she watched him. He still had food in his mouth when he continued, “Snape’s a s nasty git, Fred and George say he likes to take points of Gryffindor. Like its personal or something.”

 

“I’m sure they were joking...”

 

“I’m sure they weren’t.”

 

Halfway through breakfast the owls swooped down to the tables for mail. Hedwig hadn’t brought him anything all week, obviously he wasn’t going to receive anything from the Dursleys. But that morning she dropped a small parchment on the table in front of him. It was from Hagrid.

 

_Dear Harry,_

 

_We haven’ had a chance to speak yet but I knew yer parents. Would you like to have a cup of tea later today, Professor Mcgonagall tells me you have fridays off (along with telling me this fine bird is yours, couldn’ have picked a better one myself), you can bring friends if you want. Well, send us a replay with your owl._

 

_Hagrid._

 

Harry asked both Ron and Hermione if they wanted to go with him. Ron unfortunately already was behind on his work ( “Honestly Ron, in your first week?” )  but Hermione agreed to go with him. He scribbled a replay and sent Hedwig off. 

 

A little while later they made their way down to the dungeons for potions class. 

 

It was just as horrible as it was the first time around, if not worse. Before Snape let them in, both the Slytherins and the Gryffidors waited outside in the hall. There was a tense quiet and Harry could sense that most of the eyes from across the hall were locked onto his form. The first one that spoke was Malfoy who sauntered over with his two brutish shadows. 

 

“Not getting lost anymore Weasley, too bad, I was hoping not to see you and your ridiculous hair this early.” 

 

Ron’s ears began to turn a violent shade of red, he was about to say something when the door of the potions class opened. 

 

Harry made sure to sit off to the far left, as away from the Slytherins as possible, Hermione of course sat right beside him. Ron sat behind him, as the class settled in he leaned in and whispered to Harry, see I told you Malfoy is an utter prat. 

 

Snaps stalked into the class and it became quiet very quickly. Like the other professors he began class by taking the register. Unlike the other professors he paused at Harry’s name and sarcastically remarked about Harry’s celebrity status. The class was deathly quiet though, not even the Slytherins made any noises. 

 

He bagan to explain the class, his eyes would dart towards the area Harry sat in. He wanted to catch the boy not paying attention, unfortunately for Harry, he let his eyes wander for only a moment and that was all that Snape needed. 

 

“Potter,” he barked out. “What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?” 

 

The answer came naturally, “Drought of the Living dead, a powerful sleeping potion.” 

 

Snape glared at him, “And, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

 

“A stomach of a goat, it’ll save you from most poisons.” He remembered using one to save Ron in sixth year of the ‘dream’.

 

Snape glared at him, “Maybe Mr. Potter you can be three for three, "What is the difference between monkswood and wolfsbane?"

 

“Umm, they’re the same plant.”

 

Snape’s glare intensified ten fold. “Well well, it seems as though you live up to your name Mr. Potter.” It sounded like it could’ve been a compliment if Snape hadn’t ground it out. 

 

“Five points to Gryffindor.” 

 

From behind him, Harry heard Ron whisper, “Wicked.”

 

Perhaps Harry should’ve played stupid because potions was tenser than he’d ever remembered it being. Snape almost breathed down his neck as he and Hermione worked on their potion, he criticized absolutely everybody except for Malfoy.

 

“Bloody Malfoy, teacher’s favorite.” Ron mumbled as he worked with Parvati Patel. 

 

Hermione seemed annoyed by the bias too, “Our potion looks much better than his...”

 

Of course by the end of the class Gryffindor had lost all the point that Harry managed to get and then some when Neville managed to melt Seamus’s cauldron and the potion covered the floor. Neville had to be sent to the hospital wing because of the boils that sprang up after the potion drenched him. The all stood on their chairs to avoid the potion, Harry looked around to the Slytherin side of the room annoyed at the looks that the other house gave Neville. Malfoy looked particularly gleeful as they all heard Neville moan in pain down the hallway. 

 

Overall it Potions was just as nasty an experience with Snape as it ever was.

 

The rest of the day was slightly better but the foul taste from that morning remained. 

 

The only good thing about that day was when he and Hermione left the castle at five to three to go down to Hagrid’s hut. Harry knocked at the door and when Fang began to bark from behind it Hermione jumped. 

 

“Back Fang!” Hagrid opened his door a crack and shooed Fang, “Well, come in then.”

 

“Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Nice to finally meet you Harry,” His large hand dwarfed Harry’s as he shook it. “An’ I’m glad you’ve made a freind...”

 

“Hermione Granger, first year and Gryffindor just like Harry.” She shook Hagrid’s hand too.

 

“Well then you two, make yerselves at home,” he began to get the tea ready. “I was hopin’ to meet when yer letter came, but since the Dursley’s didn’ make a fuss Dumbledore sent Snape.” 

 

“They always send someone?”

 

“Only to muggleborn first years, an’ you because the Dursleys told you nothin’.” 

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent talking about how Hagrid knew Harry’s parents and about classes, professors and the like. Speaking to Hagrid again was wonderful, it made the day much better than it originally was. 

 

Before he and Hermione left, Harry noticed the paper under Hagrid’s table. The headline was about the break in at Gringotts...

 

_‘So the stone is here after all...’_

 

 


End file.
